Album Review: Django Django – Django Django

Django Django’s sound is difficult to define. To say that they have a sound is probably all that needs to be said, but I have been asked to write a review so I have to struggle to find words that define them. I doubt they are interested in reducing their music to a few soundbites, and they have certainly made an album which reflects that. But if I was to be pinned down on any point, I would say that vocally they sound a bit like The Beta Band, in the way that they almost chant their lyrics rather than sing them.

Track three on the album, ‘Default’, has been picked up and played a lot on 6 Music. It is a great song which has a Beach Boys rhythmic quality to it, with an unmistakably 21st century twist as the vocals are melted by computers and a vocoder to create a singular infectious, warped harmony, which is present on all the songs on the album. To be compared to The Beta Band automatically suggests that you are a band that takes risks and eludes definition in pursuit of creativity, which is, basically, a compliment. And I would say that Django Django have fulfilled the criteria needed to be associated with The Beta Band; they are fun, fresh and should quite rightly be praised for making an album that lives up to their creative ideals.

Before listening to the album, I was expecting something akin to Friendly Fires as I knew there were computers and synths involved, but thankfully, they sidestep sounding like another generic indie-dance band, of which, it seems, there are many. The feature of acoustic and blues guitars pushes them beyond what could conceivably be described as ‘dance’ but is a bit too varied and experimental to be classed as straight ‘indie’. The inclusion of piano gives them a 50s edge; the echoes and tribal sounding drums remind me a bit of Mercury Rev; and the odd bit of synth (every self- respecting East London band has to have one) aligns them with bands like Hot Chip or Errors. The comparisons are not obvious and are certainly, varied.

There are certain lyrics, as well, which have a poetic quality, such as, “You’ve used up all the lyrics of your favourite song”, which features in the track ‘Storm’. These little moments turn an album in to a pleasing whole and promise that repeated listens will hold something new and unexpected.

Songs like ‘Life’s A Beach’ go from light and frivolous to dark and heavy while ‘Skies Over Cairo’ is consistently frivolous to the point where it sounds like they improvised what they thought Egyptian music sounded like to use for a kids TV program set in Egypt. It also has a more recognisable dance feel to it with repetitive synths and an absence of guitars. I doubt they made ‘Skies Over Cairo’ with straight faces and they strike me as a band that have fun when they create music.

Django Django met at art school, which usually guarantees an almost relentless pursuit to be unique and different which can, paradoxically, make it predictable. But they have managed to balance the playful and meaningful to great effect. Is it easy listening? Perhaps not. Is it confusing to describe? Most definitely. Will it stand the test of time? I’m not so sure, but there are a few stand out tracks, number one being ‘Default’, which will stick in your head long after you’ve finished listening.

When people ask me what music I am in to, I find it very hard to give a definitive answer because, throughout my life I have been in to all kinds of different music from House to Heavy Metal depending on how old I was, what I was doing at the time and the kind of people I was hanging out with. So I can safely say I am open to most things as long as it’s good but obviously that is entirely subjective and open to interpretation, which I guess is what Silent Radio is all about. However, I would say that overall my alliances lie with Electronic Music because it covers so many genres and is constantly developing and changing. Having just returned from Sonar I felt a warm glow being surrounded by so many people who appreciate Electronic Music but there were times when I became a little jaded and questioned its integrity especially after seeing Katy B perform for the 3RD TIME! Will Katy B still be remembered in six years? I doubt it. But I guess that is the nature of Pop Music in particular; some stand the test of time, some don't. I think having grown up and lived in Manchester my musical tastes have been influenced by the club scene post- hacienda and the music at nights like Electric Chair which encompasses the sounds of House, Detroit Techno, Disco, Soul, Funk and Hip Hop. Basically anything with a groove, I like. But this is not confined to Dance Music I particularly like bands that are melodic and have a hook such as Wild Beasts, music that captures an emotion and has a heart. While at University I was also listening to music that didn’t really have much of a heart but more of a pacemaker in terms of the emotion it conveyed and that was Electro-Clash, a completely non- sensical and at times ridiculous genre that borrowed elements from House, Italio Disco and Techno and re- formed them in to one fun, but ridiculous package. While at University, I had my own radio Show where I tried to convey some of my musical tastes acquired from up north and had guest DJ's from a night in New Cross called Zombie Disco, with Jamie from Zombie Disco now working with Lindstrom. We also borrowed the services of Rina from Ladytron who had a guest DJ slot. Anyhow, I think it is safe to say I like a wide range of music apart from Katy B, sorry Katy.

Comments

I proper love this album. Yes ‘Default’ will stick in your head for sure, but I’ve woke up on a couple of occasions recently with ‘Zumm Zumm’ as an earworm.

As for the the electronic sounds, i’d say there’s a definite nod towards electronic legends such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Wendy Carlos (A Clockwork Orange). For me if there’s another album of this quality this year i’ll be made up.

Also in ‘Hand Of Man’ there’s the recognisable mobile phone interference sound. I don’t know if it’s there on purpose or not, but i’d like to think it isn’t and they just decided to leave it in.